The Spiritual Defibrillator of the Jewish People

From the electric pulse that revives the heart to the Mitzvah Tank in Manhattan — how a “spiritual shock” can bring a Jewish soul back to life.

Every respectable public place has a defibrillator — a device that helps save lives by sending an electric pulse to the heart in cases of cardiac arrest or irregular heartbeat. The challenge is always how to make sure everyone knows where it is, so that in an emergency they can find it instantly. In our synagogue, after much thought, it was decided to place the device on the cabinet that holds the cholent pot every Shabbat — that way, everyone knows exactly where it is, and even if the lights go out, it can be found immediately.

Just as there’s a machine that gives an electric shock to restart a heart, so too in spiritual life — sometimes a person needs a “shock” to wake up. We saw how the entire Jewish nation was shaken awake by the terrible blow of October 7th, and we pray never to experience such pain again. But not every awakening must come from pain; sometimes it’s an inner jolt that stirs the soul.

The Treasure of His Eyes

The Bible tells of King Ahab of Israel, who reigned around 850 BCE. Ahab worshiped Baal — a pagan idol — and spread idolatry throughout the land. He provoked G-d repeatedly and married Jezebel, daughter of the King of Sidon, who murdered all of G-d’s prophets (except for one hundred saved by Obadiah, who hid them in a cave). The Torah describes Ahab as one of the most sinful kings, for under his rule idolatry entered Israel for the first time with royal support. Ahab built temples for Baal and Asherah and supported hundreds of their prophets in his court. Jezebel, the Sidonian princess, advanced pagan worship with cruelty and relentless persecution of G-d’s prophets.

At that time, the regional superpower was the Kingdom of Aram (modern-day Syria). During Ahab’s reign, Ben-Hadad, King of Aram, fought against Israel three times. The first time, he formed a coalition with thirty-two kings to besiege Samaria. He sent messengers to Ahab saying: “Thus says Ben-Hadad — your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine.” Ahab replied: “As you say, my lord the king — I and all that I have are yours.”

But the messengers returned with a further demand: “Tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and your servants’ houses, and whatever is precious in your eyes they shall take.”

He told Ben-Hadad’s messengers: “Tell my lord the king — all that you first requested I will do, but this thing I cannot do.”

Ben-Hadad wanted not only wealth and family, but also “what is precious in your eyes.” The Talmud (Sanhedrin 102b) asks: What was this “treasure of your eyes” that Ahab refused to surrender, after already agreeing to give up his wives, silver, and gold? The answer: it was the Torah scroll.

Ahab, who had built altars for idols and killed G-d’s prophets — suddenly refused to give up his Torah scroll. He sent back a message: “Everything else I will give you, but not the Torah.”

What happened here? Just the day before, Ahab fought against everything written in the Torah, against the commandment “You shall have no other gods.” Suddenly, he’s ready to risk everything for the Torah. What caused this change?

The Rebbe gives a remarkable insight:

“With Ahab, it was no secret that his behavior was the opposite of Torah. He transgressed everything — even killed G-d’s prophets. Yet when a gentile king told him, ‘Give me your treasure of the eyes,’ meaning your Torah scroll, it stirred something deep inside. Instinctively he declared, ‘This I cannot do!’ Until now, no Jew had succeeded in influencing him — not even words from the heart. But when an enemy King called the Torah ‘the treasure of your eyes,’ it awakened his own realization that indeed, it was his treasure. So he refused, with complete simplicity — even at the risk of his life.” (Toras Menachem, Vol. 60, p. 331)

When Ahab heard a non-Jew call the Torah “the treasure of your eyes,” it struck him like a spiritual defibrillator — a jolt that brought his Jewish heart back to life. He suddenly realized: “Yes, this really is my treasure!” And he was ready to fight and die for it. Sometimes it takes someone from outside to show us what we truly value. That’s the spiritual defibrillator.

The Spark That Ignites

Sometimes people begin attending Torah classes because a non-Jewish friend or coworker asked them a question about the Bible — and they realized they didn’t know the answer. That question sparks something within. Often, a person can’t awaken himself; it takes an outside trigger to shake him awake.

We see this also in the weekly Torah portion. Abraham, when he came to the Land of Israel, began spreading belief in G-d — one Creator who made and guides the world. The Torah says: “He planted an eshel in Be’er Sheva and called there in the name of G-d, the Eternal One.” The Sages explain that Abraham built an inn for travelers, and after they ate and drank, he asked them to thank the Creator.

Some refused, saying: “You gave us the food, so we’ll thank you.” Abraham replied: “If the thanks are due to me, then pay me for what you ate and drank.” He would then show them a extravagant bill, explaining: “Who else can give you bread, meat, and wine in the desert?” Realizing they couldn’t pay, they agreed to bless G-d.

But did these people truly change their beliefs, or did they just say the words to avoid paying? What good came from such “forced” faith?

The Rebbe explains: We find in the Torah an example of a dramatic change in outlook that came about because of external pressure. In the story of the spies, who spoke negatively about the Land of Israel, we see that at first, the entire nation rebelled against G-d and refused to believe that He could bring them into the Land. They cried out, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

 But after G-d became angry with them and decreed, “In this desert your bodies shall fall,” a sudden change took place. Suddenly the people said, “We are ready and will go up to the place that G-d has promised.”

 At first glance, this is puzzling. The reason for their rebellion and tears was their lack of faith in G-d’s power to defeat the Canaanite nations. How could it be that, just because G-d rebuked them, they were now convinced of His ability to conquer the land and changed their minds so quickly?

 From this, we learn an important lesson: When a person sins and justifies his behavior with various arguments, there is no need to debate each claim one by one. All those explanations are merely a cover for the evil inclination. Once the inclination is subdued, all those arguments disappear on their own.

 So too here: when G-d expressed His anger toward the people, He immediately broke the grip of their evil inclination. There was no longer any need for proof or reasoning about G-d’s power — they simply said with pure and simple faith, “We are ready and will go up.”
(Likkutei Sichos, vol. 15, p. 122)

In the 1970s, when the Rebbe initiated the “Mitzvah Tank” campaign, Chabad chassidim went out to the streets of Manhattan and asked passersby, “Are you Jewish?” That simple question was, for many, a spiritual “electric shock.” Jews who hadn’t thought about their identity in years suddenly woke up and asked themselves, “I’m Jewish? What does that mean?” Amid the noisy streets, flashing signs, and loud music, those Mitzvah Tanks became the spiritual defibrillators of the Jewish people.

 Sometimes, it takes unconventional methods — nontraditional approaches — to awaken the Jewish heart. And it works. Try it — it will work for you, too.

 (From the class Insights for Life on Parshas Vayeira, 5786 / 2025)